Alana Nickels – Page 20 – Orthodoxy, folk lore, folk art, iconography, and true tales in these strange days

Quotes on Orthodoxy / St. John of Damascus

“…Nor giving room to those who are anxious to introduce novelties.”

Brethren, let us plant ourselves upon the rock of faith and the tradition of the Church, removing not the landmarks set by our holy fathers, nor giving room to those who are anxious to introduce novelties and to undermine the structure of God’s holy and apostolic Church. For if everyone were allowed a free hand, little by little the entire Body of the Church would be destroyed.

– St. John of Damascus

Featured image: The Mar-Saba Monastery (Monastery of St. Sava the Sanctified) where St. John of Damascus served as a hieromonk, and reposed. source

Quotes on Orthodoxy / St. Anthony the Great

“The uneducated and foolish regard instruction as ridiculous.”

The uneducated and foolish regard instruction as ridiculous and do not want to receive it, because it would show up their uncouthness, and they want everyone to be like themselves. Likewise those who are dissipated in their life and habits are anxious to prove that everyone else is worse than themselves, seeking to present themselves as innocent in comparison with all the sinners around them.
The lax soul is turbid and perishes through wickedness, since it contains within itself profligacy, pride, insatiate desire, anger, impetuosity, frenzy, murderousness, querulousness, jealousy, greed, rapacity, self-pity, lying, sensual pleasure, sloth, dejection, cowardice, morbidity, hatred, censoriousness, debility, delusion, ignorance, deceit and forgetfulness of God. Through these and suchlike evils the wretched soul is punished when it is separated from God.

– St. Anthony the Great, from the Philokalia

Featured image: Boëtius Adamsz, after Abraham Bloemaert. 1590 – 1612

Quotes on Orthodoxy / St. Sergius of Radonezh

“Guard purity of soul and body.”

Orthodox Christians must steadfastly remain in Orthodoxy, preserve oneness of mind with one another and un-hypocritical love, guard purity of soul and body, reject evil and unclean intentions, temperately partake of food and drink, and above all adorn themselves with humility, not neglect hospitality, refrain from conflicts and not give honor and glory in anything to earthly life, but instead await a reward from God: the enjoyment of heavenly goods.

– St. Sergius of Radonezh

Featured image: The cross of St. Sergius of Radonezh, with which he blessed the Venerable Irinarkh at the founding of the monastery. From the Prokudin-Gorskiĭ Collection. Photographer Sergeĭ Mikhaĭlovich, 1911. Library of Congress

Misc. Quotes on Orthodoxy / Quotes on Orthodoxy

“I will always carry my cross.”

I will always carry my cross. And if I cannot carry it, at least I will drag it. Because I do not want to lose my cross. I want to find the mercy of Christ and His Salvation and Kingdom.

– Alexandros Papadiamantis (1851 – 1911)

Featured image: source

Quotes on Orthodoxy / St. Gregory of Sinai

“Nothing so fills the heart with contrition and humbles the soul as solitude.”

Nothing so fills the heart with contrition and humbles the soul as solitude embraced with self-awareness, and utter silence.
And nothing so destroys the state of inner stillness and takes away the divine power that comes from it as the following six universal passions: insolence, gluttony, talkativeness, distraction, pretentiousness and the mistress of the passions, self-conceit.
Whoever commits himself to these passions plunges himself progressively into darkness until he becomes completely insensate. But if he comes to himself again, and with faith and ardor makes a fresh start, he will once more attain what he seeks, especially if he seeks it with humility.
Yet if through his negligence even one of the passions that we have mentioned gets a hold on him once more, then the whole host of evils, including pernicious lack of faith, moves in and attacks him, devastating his soul till it becomes like another city of Babylon, full of diabolical turmoil and confusion (cf. Isa. 13:21).
Then the last state of the person to whom this happens is worse than his first (cf. Matt. 12:45), and he turns into a violent enemy and defamer of those pursuing the path of hesychasm, always whetting his tongue against them like a sharp double-edged sword.

– St. Gregory of Sinai, Philokalia, Vol. 4

Featured image: St. Herman Russian Orthodox Church, King Cove, AK. Jet Lowe, 1990, Library of Congress.

Iconography & Liturgical Arts

“The sadness of compassion and joy…a forceful intelligence and calm stillness…”

(The face of the saint in the icon) – the eyes, lips and brow in particular – offers a more subtle indication of their character. Whilst icons are not naturalistic, their faces ought to express something of the saint’s more salient qualities…The two eyes and brows can be depicted differently in a given face in order to suggest two contrasting but complementary states, such as gentleness and power; the sadness of compassion and joy;…a forceful intelligence and calm stillness.
Another common juxtaposition occurs between the eyes and the lips. A light puckering of the eyebrows suggests the sadness engendered by the saint’s compassion for our suffering. To balance this sadness the lips can have a hint of a smile, to suggest inner joy.
Together these manifest what is called in Orthodox spirituality a “bright sadness” or harmolipi, as it is called in Greek. This is a particularly useful technique when painting ascetics. They are normally shown with gaunt cheek bones and taught brows, which by themselves give an overly stern expression. This can be obviated by introducing warmth to the mouth – not a cheesy smile but a deepening of the shadow at the lips’ extremities.

– Aidan Hart, Techniques of Icon and Wall Painting

Featured image: source

Quotes on Orthodoxy / St. Amphilochios Makris of Patmos

“Don’t let the winds of temptation affect you.”

When we are beset by temptations, that’s when the Grace of God comes. When one undergoes temptation, he recognises his weakness, is humbled and attracts the Grace of God. Don’t let the winds of temptation affect you. They can’t do you any harm.

– St. Amphilochios Makris of Patmos

Featured image: source

Quotes on Orthodoxy / St. John of Kronstadt

“If you fall, rise up.”

If you fall, rise up. If you fall again, rise up again. Only do not abandon your Physician, lest you be condemned as worse than a suicide because of your despair. Wait on Him, and He will be merciful, either reforming you, or sending you trials, or through some other provision of which you are ignorant.

– St. John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ: Part 1

Quotes on Orthodoxy / St. Kosmas of Aetolia

“Even if the whole world were to fall apart…”

I say this to you and I counsel you, even if the sky were to fall down, even if the earth would rise up, even if the whole world were destroyed, as it is due to do so, today, tomorrow, let them burn your body, let them fry it, let them take your possessions – don’t concern yourself. Give them away – they are not yours. You need your soul and Christ. Even if the whole world were to fall apart, no one can take these two things away from you against your will. Guard these two, and don’t lose them.

– St. Kosmas of Aetolia

Featured image: From the St. Kosmas of Aetolia Greek Orthodox Monastery

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